Cayden Lindstrom: a prospect of the calibre of Juraj Slafkovský in 2022, believes a scout

In a few weeks, we’ll know who the Canadiens’ fifth-round pick in the upcoming draft will be. We suspect that Kent Hughes would like to opt for a forward, but right now, it’s hard to know who will be available when it’s his turn to speak.

Ivan Demidov seems an increasingly likely option at No. 5, and behind him, Cayden Lindstrom, Tij Iginla, Beckett Sennecke and Berkly Catton are all names to watch.

Lindstrom is particularly interesting. The striker is a colossus with great athletic ability and interesting offensive assets, but injuries have bothered him a little this season.

It’s not ideal… although he was very good when healthy.

So we’re talking about a prospect whose ceiling seems pretty high (but whose floor may be a little lower)… and in Kevin Dubé’s most recent Journal de Québec piece, an (anonymous) scout said he sees Lindstrom in the same class as 2022’s Juraj Slafkovský (as a prospect).

The question was where the 2022 Slaf would fit in if he were eligible at this auction, and the scout placed him in Lindstrom’s category.

What’s interesting is that the scout in question later adds that he would place Slaf somewhere between 6th and 10th in that auction. So, by the same logic, he doesn’t see Lindstrom as a top-five prospect… and he sees the 2024 auction as much better than the 2022 one.

It’s important to understand that the scout in question doesn’t necessarily work for the Habs. On the other hand, if the Habs also see Lindstrom as a prospect in the mold of Slaf, for whom they took a huge gamble at No. 1 (which, so far, seems to be paying off, even if he wasn’t the popular choice at the time), one wonders whether they might not have Lindstrom in their sights at No. 5. After all, so far, the gamble of opting for Slaf’ s high ceiling seems to be working…

And in doing so, one also wonders whether he wouldn’t dare take him ahead of a prospect like Ivan Demidov if he were to be available, even if he is the “popular” choice.

It’s also worth noting that, in the same paper, the scouts surveyed stated that if the 2023 David Reinbacher had been a prospect in this draft, he’d be among the top defensemen of the auction. Artyom Levshunov seems to be unanimously ahead of him, but for others, he has little to envy Anton Silayev and Sam Dickinson.

Not a bad evaluation, all the same.

Overtime

– Speaking of Slaf.

The Canadiens top line didn’t get enough credit for how exciting they were to watch this season

So here’s a mix that highlights a fraction of these moments #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/qSlKWucL3y

– Cam Weitzman (@Cweitz99) June 11, 2024

– How to save the Oilers?

Sports Lovers I With @RainvilleJR, Dany Dubé and Stéphane Waite try to find solutions to @EdmontonOilers problems.https://t.co/1JtOWhX18s

– 98,5 Sports (@985Sports) June 12, 2024